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News Pfizer to appeal India decision to revoke cancer drug patent Sanofi says new data for lantus insulin positive Morocco bars visit by Dutch abortion rights ship Prominent Republicans in Washington state, Colorado endorse legal pot Idaho nuclear lab fined after workers exposed to radiation Medication tied to rare meningitis outbreak may have reached 23 states Analysis: In fog of numbers, little tax clarity from Obama-Romney Medication tied to rare meningitis outbreak reached 23 states Obama fights back after debate setback Obama, Romney debate sheds little light on healthcare issues Medicines Co stops trial of blood loss drug on safety issues Americans have mixed feelings about healthcare: Reuters/Ipsos poll Colombian president says doing well after cancer surgery Canada's XL Foods to increase safeguards after huge beef recall U.S. authorities charge 91 in $430 million Medicare fraud Pfizer to appeal India decision to revoke cancer drug patent MUMBAI (Reuters) - Pfizer Ltd, the India unit of U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc, will challenge the country's patent office for revoking a patent for its cancer drug Sutent. The company, which will appeal before the Intellectual Property Appellate Board, said on Friday the Indian Patent Office's decision raised concerns over India's commitment to protect intellectual property. "We believe the decision undermines intellectual property rights in India and we will vigorously defend our basic Sutent patent," Jazz Tobaccowalla, managing director of Pfizer India, said in a statement. ... Full Story Top Sanofi says new data for lantus insulin positive PARIS (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi said trial results for its Lantus insulin showed it was three times more likely to achieve and maintain targeted blood sugar levels compared with standard care for patients with pre-diabetes or early type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk. The six-year "Origin" clinical trial involved 12,500 participants, Sanofi said in a statement on Friday. ... Full Story Top Morocco bars visit by Dutch abortion rights ship RABAT/AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Morocco on Thursday barred Dutch abortion rights activists from docking their campaign ship to spread awareness about safe abortion methods in a Muslim country that bans the practice. Women on Waves announced last week its intention to send their ship into the Moroccan port of Smir after visits to traditionally Roman Catholic countries Spain, Portugal and Ireland at the invitation of local women's groups. ... Full Story Top Prominent Republicans in Washington state, Colorado endorse legal pot (Reuters) - Ballot measures to legalize marijuana in Washington state and Colorado gained support this week from a pair of prominent Republicans - U.S. Senate candidate Michael Baumgartner and former Representative Tom Tancredo - who could help sway conservative voters. No state has ever legalized marijuana for recreational use. The federal government considers it an illegal drug, but 17 states and the District of Columbia allow it as medicine. ... Full Story Top Idaho nuclear lab fined after workers exposed to radiation SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Energy fined a nuclear research lab in Idaho more than $400,000 on Thursday for multiple safety violations stemming from two mishaps last year that caused workers to be contaminated with radiation. "DOE considers these events to be of high safety significance," John Boulden, a director of enforcement and oversight for the Energy Department in Washington, D.C., wrote in the violation notice issued to the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls. ... Full Story Top Medication tied to rare meningitis outbreak may have reached 23 states NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - A steroid medication linked to the death of at least five people from rare fungal meningitis may have been administered to patients in 23 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said on Thursday, raising fears the rare outbreak could spread. In a briefing for reporters, the CDC said five people had died so far and 35 had fallen sick from fungal meningitis in six states. The outbreak was first reported in Tennessee, where three people have died and 25 of the cases have been reported. The other confirmed deaths were in Virginia and Maryland. ... Full Story Top Analysis: In fog of numbers, little tax clarity from Obama-Romney (Reuters) - For an event so freighted with expectations of tax insights, the Obama-Romney debate on Wednesday offered few clues on what the candidates' tax plans could mean for average Americans. Republican nominee Mitt Romney stuck to his strategy of promising tax cuts. To pay for this, he pledged again to close yet-to-be-named tax loopholes. And he said new tax revenues would come from economic growth spurred by lower taxes. ... Full Story Top Medication tied to rare meningitis outbreak reached 23 states NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - A steroid medication linked to the death of at least five people from rare fungal meningitis may have been administered to patients in 23 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said on Thursday, raising fears the rare outbreak could spread. In a briefing for reporters, the CDC said five people had died so far and 35 had taken ill from fungal meningitis in six states. The outbreak was first reported in Tennessee, where three people have died and 25 of the cases have been reported. The other confirmed deaths were in Virginia and Maryland. ... Full Story Top Obama fights back after debate setback DENVER (Reuters) - A day after a muted performance in a presidential debate, U.S. President Barack Obama fought back against Republican rival Mitt Romney on Thursday and the Democrat's re-election campaign vowed to learn lessons from the setback. A feisty Obama told a rally of some 12,000 people that the former Massachusetts governor was untruthful during Wednesday's 90-minute debate in Denver, which most observers reckoned the Republican won. "When I got onto the stage, I met this very spirited fellow who claimed to be Mitt Romney," Obama said. ... Full Story Top Obama, Romney debate sheds little light on healthcare issues WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney agree that the $2.8 trillion U.S. healthcare system is broken, but neither candidate on Wednesday presented voters with a clear idea of how to fix it. Their comments about Medicare, Medicaid and healthcare in general dominated more than one-quarter of a presidential debate and gave both candidates a chance to articulate their policies for an estimated 50 million viewers. Healthcare is a top issue in the November 6 election. The U.S. ... Full Story Top Medicines Co stops trial of blood loss drug on safety issues (Reuters) - The Medicines Co said it discontinued a mid-stage study of its experimental drug to reduce blood loss during surgery due to evidence of risk to patients. Shares of the company fell 4 percent in extended trade, after closing at $26.64 on the Nasdaq on Thursday. Medicines Co, known for its blood thinner Angiomax, did not disclose the nature of the safety issues. The company said it is assessing all patient data from the study to determine the cause of the safety issues and any potential link to the drug. ... Full Story Top Americans have mixed feelings about healthcare: Reuters/Ipsos poll (Reuters) - It's no secret that 2010's Affordable Care Act is unpopular - except when it's not. Reuters/Ipsos polling reveals a remarkably high level of approval for nearly all the provisions of the act, often in the 80 percent range, even though respondents oppose the legislation, commonly known as "Obamacare," by 55 to 45. Remarks made during the October 3 presidential debate added confusion rather than clarity to the healthcare issue. ... Full Story Top Colombian president says doing well after cancer surgery BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos made his first public appearance after prostate cancer surgery on Thursday and said he was fine and working from his hospital room. At a critical time in his presidency when Santos is about to start peace negotiations with Marxist rebels, the 61-year-old shocked the Andean country this week when he announced he was suffering from prostate cancer and needed surgery. "Everything went fine ... ... Full Story Top Canada's XL Foods to increase safeguards after huge beef recall (Reuters) - XL Foods, the owner of the Canadian beef plant that is at the center of one of Canada's largest meat recalls, said on Thursday it will increase food safety measures once the government allows the Brooks, Alberta, facility to reopen. It was the company's first statement since the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) suspended the plant's operating license last week, as more steaks, roasts, ground beef and other products are recalled that may contain E. coli bacteria. ... Full Story Top U.S. authorities charge 91 in $430 million Medicare fraud WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ninety-one people including doctors, nurses and other medical professionals were charged criminally in a new sweep of Medicare fraud involving seven U.S. cities and $430 million in alleged false billing, officials said on Thursday. It was the government's second big raid in recent months after a similar effort in May alleged $452 million in fraud in Medicare, the U.S. health program for the elderly and disabled. ... Full Story Top

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